alsa sound system question

tramni1980 · 10-02-2006, 04:35 AM

Hello!
I am running Slackware Linux 10.2 with kernel 2.4.31
My question is as follows:
When I listen to music for example in xine or any other player, no other sound application is able to run, for example if I am listening to music and someone try to call me in skype, he can not do that. I have noticed that at X shoutdown alsa complains about being unable to open slave.
In windows one can play several sound applications simultaneously. I do not believe it is impossible in Slackware.
I would be thankful if you suggest me some solution.
I thank you in advance.

Regards,
Martin

crisostomo_enrico · 10-02-2006, 06:08 AM

If you're using KDE probably the sound daemon is started. Once started, it will relinquish control to legacy apps (which require direct access to sound devices) by default after 60 seconds. Skype cannot use arts, it can use just oss and alsa, so if you shutdown arts skype will work.

BTW, if you're running in runlevel 4 it won't be sufficient.

tramni1980 · 10-02-2006, 06:13 AM

Yes, I use KDE. The problem is not only with skype. Whenever a sound application is run, no other can run as well. I have set the auto-suspent to 1 sec, so that once there is no running sound applicatio, I can run another one. But what about running several sound applications simultaneously? I wish I could receive calls and system sound while listening to music. It is possible in windows, I believe it is possible in Linux as well.

crisostomo_enrico · 10-02-2006, 06:31 AM

AFAIK one of the goals of a product such as arts should be that. The problem is when applications don't use it and try to access sound devices another way.

Or all of your apps support arts engine or you shutdown arts and use ALSA instead.

tramni1980 · 10-02-2006, 06:35 AM

I am sorry for the following stupid question: What is arts and how can I switch it off to see whether it will take effect?

crisostomo_enrico · 10-02-2006, 06:40 AM

don't worry, a question is rarely stupid...

Arts is a modular analog synthesizer, you can think of it as a sound server. You can disable it through KDE control center: in the sound server tab in the sound module you'll notice a checkbox in the top of the page where you can disable it.

Bye

tramni1980 · 10-02-2006, 06:47 AM

I killed the arts daemon, but the problem did not vanish.

crisostomo_enrico · 10-02-2006, 06:53 AM

Has restarted KDE?
Are you running in runlevel 4 (graphic login with i.e. KDE)?
Which program is causing troble to you (to check the sound engines it supports...)?

tramni1980 · 10-02-2006, 07:06 AM

Obvoiusly on my system the arts daemon is started with the startx script, for I kill the daemon and when I restart kde it is alive again. Any sound program causes trouble when a sound application is already on the run. e.g. if I run realplayer and then i start noatun, noatun is silent and complains that the sound server is busy. skype says that there is a problem with the sound device.

crisostomo_enrico · 10-02-2006, 08:58 AM

Sorry for not having a slackware here at work

but it should be as easy as opening the "Control center", opening the sound module and there uncheck the "Enable sound architecture" (or something like this, in this moment I cannot be more precise).

tramni1980 · 10-02-2006, 09:30 AM

there is an option " Enable sound system" and I checked and unchecked it and restarted kde but in vain. at start up of kde the system does not test sound and i do not see what i have done. however sound works, but still the problem i told you about remains

dive · 10-02-2006, 09:47 AM

Some soundcards are incapable of playing 2 sounds simulataneously ( hardware mixing ) for these cards you need to enable software mixing, usually by means of an .asoundrc file for alsa.

Have a search for .asoundrc and see what turns up.

tramni1980 · 10-02-2006, 01:49 PM

with this same sound card in windows I can play several sound applications simultaneously. Why can't I achieve the same in Slackware? I tried hard to find some info in the net about that .soundrc file, but it is really a mess in my mind now, nothing I tried worked. Skype listens to /dev/dsp1 whatever I try to do to lie to it. I tried the skype highjacker but in vain. Has anyone had the same kind of problem? I would be glad to receive some more advice.

dive · 10-02-2006, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tramni1980

with this same sound card in windows I can play several sound applications simultaneously. Why can't I achieve the same in Slackware? I tried hard to find some info in the net about that .soundrc file, but it is really a mess in my mind now, nothing I tried worked. Skype listens to /dev/dsp1 whatever I try to do to lie to it. I tried the skype highjacker but in vain. Has anyone had the same kind of problem? I would be glad to receive some more advice.

I'm not saying this *is* the problem but it's something to look into. Eg I have a soundblaster 16 card which in windows it's the windows drivers that allow more than one sound to play simultaneously. The SB16 doesn't support real HW mixing therefore it has to be done in software. With such a card you may be able to make an .asoundrc file that tells alsa to use SW mixing.

This sorta worked for me but eventually I bought an Ausigy 4 which does HW mixing and works fine.

But you haven't said what your sound card is so we don't know if this affects you or not...

Also, have you tried to get skype/xine/mplayer to use arts?

tramni1980 · 10-02-2006, 03:01 PM

The output of "cat /proc/asound/cards" is :
0 [I82801DBICH4 ]: ICH4 - Intel 82801DB-ICH4
Intel 82801DB-ICH4 with AD1981B at 0xffa7f800, irq 3

I have not tried to make skype or any other application to use arts, because I do not know how

Please help me